The In Memoriam section lists the name, date of birth, and date of death of recently deceased attorneys and legal professionals. Reader-submitted tributes of deceased attorneys and legal professionals, including those listed above, are welcomed. Tributes should provide information about the deceased’s legal career. Photographs are welcomed. Tributes will be published as space is available and the publication schedule allows. Send tributes and notices about recently deceased attorneys to Tracy Rackauskas at tracyr@cobar.org.

Recognizing recently deceased Colorado
attorneys and members of the legal community

Recently Deceased Attorneys

Joseph BerenbaumApril 21, 1916–November 3, 2010

Charles Blatchford Hechtd. October 30, 2010, age 53

William Kay (Bill) Maloned. November 8, 2010

Tributes

John A. Siddeek(May 24, 1959–October 8, 2010)

The Mesa County legal community lost a friend, colleague, and active supporter of the Bar Association when John Siddeek passed away in October after battling cancer. John helped establish the Mesa County Bar Association Mock Trial Program as one of the premier bar association programs in Colorado. He worked tirelessly with high schools and the Colorado Bar Association in hosting the mock trial competition in Grand Junction. The Mesa County Bar Association recently named its mock trial competition trophy in honor of John.

John received a bachelor’s degree from Pomona College in 1981 and graduated from New York University Law School in 1991. He came to Grand Junction and joined Hoskin, Farina & Kampf, P.C. in 1995 after working with Wilmer, Cutler and Pickering in Washington, DC. He immediately established himself as a talented litigator in Mesa County, litigating a number of cases at the federal and state district court and appellate court levels.

John was extremely talented. He played competitive chess, twice earning the title of state champion, and eventually earning his master’s rating. He also was a great conversationalist, with interests in many areas. He was actively involved with community projects, including working with Habitat for Humanity and coaching both recreational and competitive Grand Mesa Youth Soccer Association teams for more than twelve years. John is survived by his wife Gail, their two children Zack and Jesse, and his dog Tucker. A memorial service was held in Grand Junction in October. John will be missed dearly.

—Submitted by Debbie Campbell

John Marshall Sayre(November 9, 1921–October 19, 2010)

John Sayre,preeminent water lawyerand former Assistant Secretary for Water and Science with the U.S. Department of the Interior, died on October 19, 2010 in his home in Bend, Oregon. He is survived by his wife Jean; his sons John, Jr., Henry, and Charles Franklin; and seven grandchildren.

After earning his BA and law degrees at the University of Colorado, John practiced law in Boulder for seventeen years as the City Attorney, a member of the Boulder Board of Education, General Counsel for the Home Savings & Loan Association, a representative of the Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District, and the General Counsel of the Colorado Municipal League. He became a partner at Davis Graham & Stubbs in 1966, where his practice focused on water law and municipal corporations. Significant to John’s practice was his long-standing representation as lead counsel for the Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District. In that position, John helped Northern Water build and operate the Colorado–Big Thompson and Windy Gap water projects and become a leader in Western water policy and administration. He took a leave of absence from DGS to serve as Assistant Secretary for Water and Science in the Department of the Interior during the George H.W. Bush administration.

John was active with a variety of professional organizations, serving as a charter member and director of the Colorado Water Congress and a member of the committee that wrote the 1969 Colorado Water Rights Administration Act. He was a Director of the Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District, a Colorado Director and former President of the National Water Resources Association, and a member of the American Water Works Association and the U.S. Committee on Irrigation and Drainage. He also was legal counsel for the Colorado Association of Commerce and Industry

John was a well-known leader in the Western water resources community and received the rare designation of a "Living Legend" by the Colorado Water Congress. He also received the Knous Award from the University of Colorado, the highest award given to alumni of the University.